


Princess on Bespin

by apollaskywalker



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-05-01 15:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5210786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apollaskywalker/pseuds/apollaskywalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Bespin, Leia feels like a princess for the first time in years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Princess on Bespin

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
> 
> References to a club (the Orphan Club) are a nod to my story "The Orphan Club". You don't need to read that to understand this, though.

In the morning, Leia awoke to find a selection of clothes courtesy of Lando Calrissian, along with a selection of fine toiletries (including a bottle of Alderaanian perfume, which Leia regarded with a lump in her throat.) They were all beautiful, a wide range of colors – and uncomfortably all the correct sizes. Either Threepio had given out her measurements or Lando had an incredible talent. She made note to ask Threepio.

 

Leia went through them and found a red dress with a belt and matching shoes that called to her. She tried to remember when she’d last worn anything other than fatigues and standard issue gear. The medal ceremony on Yavin IV? Could it really have been that long?

 

She showered, taking longer than she had in a while, relaxing under the spray of water and not a sonic shower. She shampooed and conditioned her hair, delighting in the lather of bubbles; she blew them off her hands into the air. Eventually she left and carefully dried her hair. As the brush tamed her long hair, she missed Luke. He would have been the perfect one to share the joys of a water shower with, desert boy that he was he loved them more than she did. The very first time he’d used one, he’d used up all the hot water and stayed in the cold water until Han dragged him out of it, chastising him that the club’s funds weren’t going to be used because “some farmboy decided to give himself hypothermia from a kriffin’ shower!”

 

As her hands gathered her hair and began to plait it, she wished again that Luke were there. Doing her hair on her own was painstaking and took a while. Usually she would enlist Luke or Chewie since she no longer had her mother, her father, or Winter. Leia’s eyes filled up with tears as she thought of her mother watching her father’s hands as he finished a difficult braid. “You have such talented hands, Bail. You’re lucky to have such a skilled hairdresser, Leia. Say thank you.”

 

“Thank you, papa,” Leia whispered and a few tears spilled over and down onto her cheeks. Another reason to have help with her hair: she didn’t cry then, even though she and Luke cried together every now and then. Company distracted her from the little memories.

 

Breha had taught Leia how to braid, how to tuck her hair securely, but it was Bail who tried elaborate twists and up do’s. Winter would find them and together they’d badger Leia’s parents until they would have a night solely dedicated to hair.

 

Leia dwelt on those memories just long enough to secure her hair and get dressed. The evidence of her grief etched itself on her face in the redness and swelling of her eyes, the blotchy skin. But that was fine, she just washed her face with cold water and set about to do her make up.

 

“Never use make up to hide,” Breha had instructed Leia, dabbing cream around Leia’s nose during particularly rough acne outbreaks. “All you’ll do is draw attention to what you want to hide. _Accentuate_ , my darling, _accentuate_ your best features. Unfortunately, you are perfect, so you have the difficult task of choosing which to accentuate.” 

 

How would her mother feel to know that Leia had used that bit of advice for more than just make up? She’d used it to hide her feelings, to spy, to frustrate a certain smuggler, and to comfort a homesick wonder.

 

Leia studied herself in the mirror, dressed up and made up and felt beautiful for the first time in years.

 

“I am Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan,” Leia declared softly to the mirror. She could almost see her parents behind her.

 

She left the ‘fresher and the mirror and the memories.

 

Sitting in the common room of their suite, Han looked just like he always did. He didn’t notice her approach at first, he read something on the pad. The news? Was he trying to find where the Imperial fleet was, if they would be safe when the ship was ready? Was he wondering how long before he could be rid of her?

 

No. She remembered his kiss, the way his hands held on to her, the way his mouth latched onto hers as if finding air, and the snarl in his voice when Threepio interrupted them.

 

She remembered nights spent on the Falcon playing sabaac, dejarik, and placing bets on games throughout the galaxy, his eyes on her as if she were an ethereal being. His insistence on making himself a member of the Orphan Club, the club she made up on the spot – would someone so ready to leave people behind join a club with them?

 

Han looked up, interrupting Leia’s contemplation of his intentions. She saw his jaw move awkwardly, as if he didn’t want to let his jaw drop.

 

Pretending she didn’t notice, Leia moved to sit next to him on the couch. “Good morning, did you sleep well?”

 

“I –“ he cleared his throat. “Yes. Yes, I did… I take it you found the clothes I picked out for you?”

 

Leia looked down at her outfit, suddenly liking it more and also astonished that Han Solo – the man with the same basic ensemble day in and day out – could pick out such a beautiful assortment of clothes. “You picked these?”

 

“Yeah,” Han reclined. “Figured you’d like something new.”

 

“Thank you,” Leia smiled. “They’re beautiful.”

 

“I hope Luke will forgive me, I spent club money on them.” Their eyes met and Leia forgot what he’d just said.

 

A moment of silence passed between them and then Han said, “You look beautiful.”

 

“Thank you,” Leia said again. She recovered her wits and stood up to go through the food on the table. “Where are Threepio and Chewie?”

 

“Not sure, Chewie noticed Threepio’d gone wandering, so he went to look for him. Probably found some poor shaak to talk the ears off of. Maybe we should contact the med center, see if anyone’s come in complaining of ear aches.” Leia bit her lip to keep from laughing. “You need to get your droid under control, princess –“ Han went on but the moment he’d used her title, Leia grew annoyed. She had _asked_ him _not_ to call her by titles, but if he wanted to remind them that she was a princess and he was a smuggler, then two could play that game!


End file.
